A Christmas to Remember
by queenofomega
Summary: One-shot: Mac gets and unexpected gift and Stella gets one she's always wanted. Santa's been nice this year. SMacked! Merry Christmas '09!


**Disclaimer: Can someone buy me CSI:NY for Christmas?**

**Author's Note: Here's a fluffy little fic for you guys in honour of the holidays. A bit of SMacked to help along the Christmas spirit. It's short but it came to me suddenly as I debated on what to write. Enjoy and a merry Christmas (and a happy New Year/Hanukkah/Kwanza/whatever else happens around this time)!  
**

Christmases had been odd when she was a child. Stella had rarely been in the same home for more than one Christmas at a time. Some of them had been loud and some of them incredibly quiet. She could not clearly remember any of these Christmases anymore but she did not want to.

Sitting at her desk at eleven p.m. on a Christmas Eve was what she wanted to remember. Year after year it had become tradition. Crime never stopped so her holidays were put on hold. But no matter what, her real family always managed to set aside time for at least a small Christmas dinner. Occasionally it was a week late, but it always happened.

From her office, she could clearly see Mac's desk. He, as usual, slaved away over piles of paperwork, as she did. She could still see the part of his office that had been cleared so that a makeshift toy storage area could move in. Files of unsolved cases that were bugging him had not yet covered it. Mac was nothing if not thorough. Stella had not even realized that she had dropped her pen and let it roll off of her desk while even his simplest movements distracted her.

She thought back to finding a tree with Mac. For someone who always seemed to communicate without many words, Mac had been full of jokes. It was almost as if he had some sense of security around her that she had not seen around anyone else. Greedily, Stella loved it. It fed her brain plenty of simple fantasies that involved her and Mac merely spending more time alone together.

Ever since they first met over coffee one rainy afternoon, Stella had felt something. It was one of those unexplainable feelings. She stifled a giggle when thinking back to when Hawkes asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She had not been willing to share the answer that was on the top of her list, mostly because it was too personal. Inwardly, she had always known that her relationship with Mac would turn out as a shy game of cat and mouse. Circumstance was always in charge of who was the cat and who was the mouse.

Stella worried that this Christmas would be full of a stinging jealousy again. She watched Danny and Lindsay year after year and now little Lucy had been added to the equation. There was Flack… a stab of pity hit her gut when she realized how selfish she was. Stella had a potential someone to spend Christmas with. Flack was still in mourning.

Pushing all depressing thoughts aside, she returned to her own paperwork. But her gaze was only drawn to Mac's signature of the bottom of the completed case file in front of her. She blew a curl out of her face and squared her shoulders. Ink scratches on a piece of paper were mocking her. Her pride was not happy.

She stood. Reaching down into a drawer that had been left open all day, she grabbed its contents that had been screaming her name. The small parcel was badly wrapped and tied with a red ribbon. It was light to the touch and it fit in her palm perfectly. She looked at the clock: 11:58. Had she really been thinking for so long? Well, she had time to execute her plan, and it was now or never.

Mac did not notice her outside his door and that was impressive since it was glass. She had to knock to draw his attention away from his work and let herself in. Instantly, the moment she stepped over the threshold, she found herself looking into all-seeing eyes. It was almost eerie how he looked straight through her. She wondered if he could mind read. She distracted him by placing the gift in front of him.

"What's this?" Mac asked, confused. Stella smiled, remembering that he blunting told her no gifts. She lied, of course, when she agreed to his rule.

She stated this playfully. Mac sighed and rolled his eyes. Stella strangely felt like a nervous teenager when he began to pull off the ribbon. He opened the small box was surprised to see it empty. Stella had also managed to sneak up beside him. He looked up at her.

"Stel?"

"I couldn't really wrap your gift, Mac, but I tried."

And with that, she pulled him to his feet and planted a kiss on his lips. She saw his eyes widen and he tensed but barely for a millisecond. He returned the kiss just as quickly. It was several moments before the two of them had to surface for air. Stella was caught between a dazed look and a grin and Mac was plain stunned.

It took them a minute to realize what had just happened. Mac was the first to move, taking Stella into his arms. He buried his face into her curls and kissed her head. Stella melted into the embrace and smiled peacefully.

"Merry Christmas, Mac."

"But I don't have any gift for you," he mumbled through her hair.

Stella laughed.

"You already gave it to me."

"Merry Christmas, Stella."

This was a Christmas she wanted to remember.

**Fin.**


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